Nov. 23: Stuffing recipe

Every time I've ever made turkey stuffing from scratch it's a lot of chopping and dicing and drying, and it ends up tasting just like Stove Top stuffing with a few things mixed in. This year I decided to do the easy thing and start out with Stove Top, then add goodies to it. I searched the Internet for a good recipe and decided on this one I found at kraftfoods.com (hey, they make that glorious mac & cheese, so I trust 'em).

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Apple Cranberry Pecan Stuffing

1½ cups apple juice
2 T. butter or margarine
1 small apple, chopped
½ cup cranberries
1 pkg (6 oz.) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
¼ cup chopped toasted pecans

Bring juice and butter to boil in medium saucepan on high heat. Stir in apple, cranberries and stuffing mix; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand five minutes. Stir in pecans.

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Here's what I did differently:

• I used one cup apple juice and ½ cup chicken broth. There was a comment on the recipe that someone thought it was too sweet with so much juice.
  
  
• Margarine? Margarine is disgusting. No one should use margarine in the kitchen but-cept in place of WD-40. Use butter for food. Always.
  
  
• I used Craisins instead of cranberries. This made it sweeter than it was probably meant to be.
  
  
• I used Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Turkey, not chicken. It was Thanksgiving, after all. Dur.
  
  
• Definitely toast the pecans. It makes the flavor more rich and roast-y. Directions for toasting pecans are probably on the bag, but just in case: spread them out on a cookie sheet or shallow pan and bake at 350° for about seven minutes. Make sure they don't get too dark.

And here's what I will do differently the next time I make this stuffing, which will probably be at Christmas:

• Use less apple juice and more chicken broth. As long as there's 1½ cups of liquid, it should be fine. The apple juice makes the stuffing sweet and with the Craisins, it was sweeter overall than I thought it should be.
  
  
• I would stick with the Craisins, but probably use a little less. They're much sweeter than cranberries. They're also prettier--this was actually a very festive looking dish. Perfect for a Christmas feast.
  
  
• I bought whole (shelled) pecans and chopped them but left a few big pieces. This makes a nice texture and I loved the taste. I would probably leave more big pieces next time.
  
  
• I might also add chopped celery for some added texture and a more savory flavor.

But that's just me.